Preliminary hearing set to begin for Silvercrest CEO charged with murder in deadly Cathedral City hit-and-run

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) The preliminary hearing for William "Billy" Frank Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of Silvercrest Advertising, is set to begin Monday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Rodriguez is charged with murder, hit-and-run causing death or permanent serious injury, and driving on a suspended or revoked license in the death of 60-year-old Christina Barrington. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Prosecutors allege Barrington was riding a scooter with her pet on East Palm Canyon Drive in Cathedral City on Oct. 11, 2024, when she was struck by a Porsche driven by Rodriguez, who then fled the scene. According to a sworn declaration filed by Cathedral City police, Rodriguez had been drinking at Acrisure Arena and at two downtown Palm Springs bars in the hours before the crash.

Investigators say he was driving 65 mph in a 45 mph zone when he swerved into Barrington's lane, and dragged her scooter roughly 1,400 feet before it dislodged. The declaration states he drove home, never reported the collision, and spent that weekend in Las Vegas.

The declaration also states Rodriguez has a 2013 DUI conviction out of Los Angeles County, and that his license was suspended and never reinstated. Prosecutors raised the prior conviction in court following his arrest.

Rodriguez was arrested Oct. 13, 2025, nearly a year after the crash, and booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio. He was later released on $2 million bail.

At Monday's hearing, a judge will decide whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to send the case to trial. Prosecutors do not have to prove guilt at this stage. The judge only needs to find probable cause, a much lower standard than what is required to convict at trial.

The case has faced repeated delays. As News Channel 3 previously reported, defense attorneys spent months saying key discovery had not been turned over, including autopsy materials, records tied to evidence seized during a search warrant, medical records and witness statements. During a March hearing, it was also revealed investigators obtained a DNA profile from Rodriguez through a court-authorized search warrant.

News Channel Three will have more details on this story and what happens in court tonight at 4, 5, 6, and 6:30pm.